Gov. Wolf Signs Legislation Expanding Access to Medical Marijuana

Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation that will provide important updates to Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act to ensure better access for patients.

House Bill 1024 acts on recommendations made by the Department of Health to revise the Medical Marijuana Act, which was signed into law in 2016. Specifically, it protects patient safety standards and product quality of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program while empowering the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board to continue to consider new medical conditions for eligibility. It will also retain certain flexibilities enacted under the state’s COVID-19 disaster declaration that patients and dispensaries found convenient.

The governor also signed HB 101, HB 125, HB 156, HB 178, HB 196, HB 246, HB 264, HB 664, HB 741, HB 765, HB 827, HB 843, HB 859, HB 925, HB 944, HB 954, HB 957, HB 1147, HB 1349, HB 1390, HB 1429, HB 1431, HB 1621, SB 70, SB 81, SB 87, SB 89, SB 96, SB 108, SB 147, SB 282, SB 411, SB 416, SB 425, SB 434, SB 484, SB 532, SB 554 and SB 664.

For additional information, see a copy of the news release here. 

PA Legislative Session 

The House and Senate broke for summer recess and will return to session in the fall. Updated session schedules are below. 

2021 House Session Schedule:

September 27, 28, 29
October 4, 5, 6, 25, 26, 27
November 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17
December 13, 14, 15

2021 Senate Session Schedule:

September 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29
October 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27
November 15, 16, 17
December 13, 14, 15

For more information on the PA Legislature, see the Legislature's website.

Wolf Administration / Legislature: 

• Department of Human Services: Managed Long Term Services & Supports Subcommittee
• Department of Human Services: Managed Care Delivery Subcommittee 
• Department of Revenue: Revenue Department Releases Fiscal Year 2020-21 Collections
• Department of Health: Health Research Advisory Committee Meeting
• Department of Human Services: Assessment percentage rates under the Statewide Quality Care Assessment Program for fiscal years 2021-2022 and FY 2022-2023
• Environmental Quality Board: July Meeting

News & Views from Around the State: 

• WFMZ: Pa. public charter schools applaud state spending plan for education 
• Pittsburgh Business Times: Southwestern Energy CEO talks ESG and why it's amping up its efforts even further
• Buffalo News: Another Voice: Modernizing recycling is central to economic recovery
• Philadelphia Inquirer: Penn doctor on his award-winning short film to improve awareness of stroke | 5 Questions
• NorthCentralPA.com: 'Learning from every patient to maximize better health for all': Mission of Geisinger's new Chief Scientific Officer
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: U.S. Steel hooks up with Equinor to study cleaner steel production

State Resources: 

• Sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. 
• Commonwealth of PA Updates
• PA DOH Updates
• Gov. Wolf Life-sustaining Business Order (issued 3/19)
• DCED Order / Business FAQs (issued 3/20/20; updated 5/31/2021)
• PA DCED COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program administered by PIDA to provide critical working capital financing to PA small businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak

Federal Resources: 

• Department of Homeland Security CISA Essential Business Memo and Guidelines (issued 3/19)
• U.S. Department of Labor Guidance on Employee Wages, Hours and Leave
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security CISA INSIGHTS Risk Management for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• CDC Resources including video, fact sheets, posters, tools and resources available for use and distribution